Military Mom Kathy Buckley a ‘Hometown Hero’

When Kathy Buckley, of Melrose, started sending care packages to her two sons, both in the Army and deployed overseas, she realized how many soldiers miss out on some of the luxuries of home.

So 11 years ago, she took action and founded Military Mom in Action, an organization that collects items and donations to send packages to troops internationally.

As part of the “Hometown Heroes” series, we’ve partnered with County Waste and Latham Ford to celebrate local unsung heroes for their good deeds and honorable work.

We asked Buckley a few questions. Here’s what she had to say:

Q: What inspired you to start sending care packages to the troops?

A: My two older sons being deployed and hearing about other soldiers not getting anything from home. David just got back from Afghanistan on his sixth deployment, he is 33. Daniel has been to Iraq and Germany. We've sent as many as 1,700 packages a month.

Q: What's the most rewarding thing about what you do?

A: I think it's the satisfaction to know that you've put a smile on somebody's face. They love just knowing that people back home, even if they're total strangers, are thinking about them and helping them, even in a small way.

Q: What are some challenges?

A: Volunteers-I usually get plenty of them and I couldn't do it without them. RIsing postage costs are a challenge, and not having enough time.

Q: Do you consider yourself a "hero?" Why or why not?

A: Not really. I just want to make a difference in somebody's life and if you consider that a hero, then so be it.